Donegal
Cliffs three times higher than Moher, beaches worthy of the Hebrides and empty roads all the way to the island's northernmost point: Donegal is the reward for those who push to the very end.
Suggested stay — 2 to 3 nights
Tucked into the far north-west, overlooked by the classic circuits, Donegal is the Wild Atlantic Way's least-shared secret. Its Slieve League cliffs fall 601 m into the Atlantic — nearly three times Moher — and are contemplated from the Bunglass viewpoint, at the end of a vertiginous single-track road, or walked along the One Man's Pass trail for seasoned hikers. Further north, the Fanad peninsula lines up its postcard lighthouse above turquoise coves, and Malin Head, Ireland's northernmost point, offers its watchtowers and, on lucky winter nights, the northern lights.
The interior holds its own: Glenveagh National Park unrolls its romantic castle on the shore of a black loch hemmed in by the Derryveagh mountains, with reintroduced golden eagles backing up the scenery. The county is also a living Gaeltacht and a land of tweed — Ardara and its workshops keep the thread. The roads are slower here, the B&Bs scarcer, the distances deceptive: it is the price of solitude, and it is paid gladly.
Don't miss
- The Slieve League cliffs from the Bunglass viewpoint, then on foot towards One Man's Pass if your footing is sure
- Fanad Head lighthouse and Ballymastocker Bay beach, regularly ranked among the world's finest
- Glenveagh National Park: castle, gardens and loch between the Derryveagh mountains
- Malin Head, the island's end, with Banba's Crown tower and the WWII "EIRE 80" markings
Our tips on the ground
- The Bunglass viewpoint road is single-track with passing places: go up early, and leave the car at the lower car park if narrow driving still stresses you — the walk in is beautiful.
- Donegal is earned in kilometres: from Galway, cut through County Sligo (Benbulben, Yeats's grave) to turn the transfer into a stage.
- Fill the tank before the northern peninsulas: stations thin out after Letterkenny and close early on Sundays.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Ireland on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Donegal
Slieve League or Moher?
The two play different registers: Moher for perfect verticality and accessibility, Slieve League for wild excess — three times the height, a tenth of the visitors, zero facilities beyond the viewpoint. If your route reaches Donegal, Slieve League will leave the stronger memory; otherwise, Moher holds its rank very well.
Can you see the northern lights in Donegal?
Yes — it is one of the few corners of Ireland where it is realistic: Malin Head and the Inishowen coast, facing due north with no light pollution, light up several times each winter during solar activity peaks. Watch the KP alerts from September onwards, and treat any aurora as a bonus — the starry sky alone already justifies the night outing.